Cooperative efforts help keep reservoir from running dryPrivate, public officials get station back on line before homes, industrial facilities affected

KRISTEN MACK, Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle |
September 28, 2005

Related Stories

Water service to more than half a million Houston-area residents and several key industrial facilities was in jeopardy during the weekend when Hurricane Rita knocked out power to a crucial pumping station, officials said today.

CenterPoint Energy, Entergy and local governments joined to restore power to the station before the Lynchburg Reservoir, which is supplied by water pumped from the Trinity River, ran dry.

"Many Houstonians breathed a sigh of relief when we didn't confront 100 mile per hour winds, flooding and the kind of damage that was inflicted on our fellow Americans in Lake Charles, Port Arthur and Beaumont," Houston Mayor Bill White said. "But when you have a hurricane this big ... there are some untold stories on the effects to our region."

The customers that would have been affected include several major refineries and petrochemical facilities that depend on fresh water for their operations, White said.

The reservoir, which holds 1.5 billion gallons of water, had a five-day supply when Entergy's power was knocked out Saturday by Hurricane Rita.

Officials in Baytown, which gets most of its water from the Trinity River station, were the first to realize the magnitude of the situation.

"We understood the gravity of our problem in Baytown and communicated it," Baytown Mayor Calvin Mundinger said. "Baytown has been in conservation mode."

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels and Harris County Tax Assessor-Collecter Paul Bettencourt, who were touring the Baytown area Sunday, realized other Houston-area residents and industries would be affected.

Eckels shared the information with White, who called on everyone to address the problem. CenterPoint answered the call.

"Entergy allowed us to go into their system and rehabilitate the part that was down," said CenterPoint President Tom Standish.